Greatest African boxer Azumah Nelson turns 60 years today

Former Ghanaian boxer Azumah Nelson is celebrating his 60 birthday on Thursday, 19 July 2018.

Azumah Nelson was named the greatest African boxer of all-time by the World Boxing Council (WBO), having held the WBC Featherweight and the Super Featherweight titles for barely a decade.

In his fighting days during the 1980s and 1990s, Ghanaian boxing legend Azumah Nelson's thudding jabs and powerful overhands earned him the moniker "The Professor," named for the lessons he'd teach opponents inside the ring.

His daring feats inside the four corners of the ring made him a national hero in the West African country, while in 2004 "The Professor" became the first African to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Nelson's illustrious career went on for years until he decided to hang up his gloves with a record of 39 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws, with 28 knockout victories.

In 2014, he was also honoured as the greatest WBC Super Featherweight boxer of all-time, alongside, the late Alexis Arguello and he was handed a special belt for that.

In addition to the special belt was a citation that read “The World Boxing Council honours Azumah Nelson for being chosen by the fans as one of the greatest WBC Super Featherweight Champions of all time. His face will be featured on all the Super Featherweight Champion belts from now on”.

Professor Azumah Nelson thanked Ghanaians for supporting him during his career and dedicated the honour to the good people of Ghana. His biography “The Professor” will be launched at the on-going convention on Tuesday 16 December 2014.

Other honourees included Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis for Heavyweight division, Salvador S’anchez and Jeff Fenech for Featherweight division, Evander Holyfield and Juan Carlos Gomez for Cruiserweight, Roy Jones and Michael Spinks for Lt. Heavyweight and many past legends. Some current legends honoured included Barmane Stiverne, Floyd Mayweather Jnr, Miguel Cotto and many others.